Art of brew cooling and dispensing



April 18, 1944. F G, MERCKEL 2,346,933

ART OF BREW COOLING AND DISPENSING Filed March l1, 1942 BY ml/ wlm/QM ATTORNEYS W l/ P6 Patented Apr'.- 18, 1944 2,346,933 ART OF BREW COOLING DISPENSING Frederick G. Merckel, Montclair, N. J., assignor to Novadel-Agene Corporation, Belleville, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application March' 11, 1942, Serial No. 434,159 13 Claims. ('Cl. 62-141) The present invention relates to the art of brew cooling and dispensing, and is concerned with internally cooled keg installations of the general type described and claimed in the prior patent to Herman E. Schulse, No. 2,051,013, issued August 16, 1936, and more especially with that more specific embodiment of said invention which is described and claimed in PatentNo. 2,253,940, to Gerald D. Peet, issued August 26, 1941.

It is an object of the invention to promote ease of introduction of the small diameter lnternal coolers into the fresh brew filled keg at the tap room and without undue strain on the equipment, or danger to the operator and without the loss of brew or gas therefrom.

Another object is to eiect economy of refrigeration by cooling the brew in the keg on tap to degree suiiicient to protect such contents from spoilage and yet promply to deliver brew to the glass or pitcher at the lower temperature desired for consumption.

Another object is to cool the brew, for dispensing thereof at the desired low temperature, by resort to secondary refrigerant, such as water, and in the absence of the large internal cooling surface area required where such cooling agency is employed to bring the entire keg contents down to and to maintain it at dispensing temperature.

According to the invention, resort is had to a small auxiliary receptacle desirably associated with the draft tube which intercepts suiicient brew originally withdrawn from the keg to vacate space therein for permitting ready introduction into the keg of the internal coolers described in the Peet patent above identied. The auxiliary receptacle has a cooling conduit in the interior thereof, Whose area. per unit volume of the small contents of said receptacle is much larger than is that of the internal coolers relative to the volume of the keg contents. Accordingly, the small contents of the auxiliary receptacle will be rapidly brought down to and maintained at the desired dispensing temperature, while the keg contents are kept at higher temperature, but sufficiently cool to preclude spoilage thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a view of the brew keg and of the associated cooling and dispensing equipment partly in longitudinal cross-section,

upper head. In addition, this keg is illustrative-r ly shown with two bushings I2 for removably accommodating corresponding small diameter hollow internal keg coolers C1` and C2, of thc type shown in the Peet patent above identified. Each cooler may comprise a small diameter metal cylinder I3 having a smaller pipe I4 therein for circulation of cooling liquid therethrough, both Fis. 2 is a view in longitudinal cross-section s the inlet and outlet of each internal cooler being at the upper end thereof. Each of said units is removably afllxed to the keg head in liquid-tight relation therewith, by means of clamping co1- lar I5.

The auxiliary brew receptacle R, desirably of small volumetric capacity, in the order of two to four quarts, and heat insulated as at I6, is preferably affixed by means of nut I8 to the upper end of a cock tting I9, in turn, affixed upon the upper end of the draft tube I1. The auxiliary receptacle R is desirably to be charged with brew from the keg, this being effected by carbon dioxide or gas pressure applied through the gas pipe 20, affixed about the draft tube II in conventional manner. The auxiliary receptacle has a brew pipe 2I therein extending to near the top thereof, the upper end of saidv pipe being desirably curved at 2|'. The -brew faucet 23 protrudes from near the upper end of the side wall of the receptacle. A brew discharge pipe 3l connected to faucet 23 extends downward therefrom to near the bottom of receptacle R, which is dished at 38 immediately under said pipe to permit complete drainage of brew from receptacle R, when the keg on tap has been emptied.

.Thus warmer brew ls delivered from the keg to the top of the receptacle R, but the faucet ,23. draws from the bottom of said receptacle. Accordingly, there is assurance that the brew withdrawn through faucet 23 is fully cooled, since the warmer brew entering the receptacle R from the keg is subjected to considerable refrigeration in said receptacle before it passes from the top where it enters the receptacle to the bottom thereof whence it is Withdrawn through the faucet 23.

The top 39 of the receptacle is also heat insulated as shown, and is removably attached as, for instance, by means of a locking ring 40. Thus access is readily had to the interior of receptacle R to facilitate cleaning thereof.

Near the bottom of receptacle R and directly under the spout oi' faucet 23 is shown a drip pan 24, removably aillxed by headed pins 25 through key slots 28 in the side wall of the pan.

Within the auxiliary receptacle R there is a cooling conduit, desirably in the form of a helical metal coil 21, the inlet of which extends longitudinally upward at 21' through the sump 23 of the receptacle. The conduit 21 is desirably of helical form and drains at 29 into sump 23. The sump communicates through outlet 3B by way of a flexible pipe 3i, desirably a heat insulated hose, to the inlet 32 of the internal cooler C, the outlet 33 of which may be connected by a jumper 34 to the inlet of the second internal cooler Cz.

Desirably cold water, at temperature but little above the freezing point is used as the cooling medium, as in the prior patents referred to and is 'circulated as shown, in series through the cooling coil 21 of the auxiliary receptacle and from the sump 28 of the latter through the various internal coolers C1, C2 in sequence. 'I'he cooling supply main 35 feeds to the inlet 21' of the cooling coil 21 in the auxiliary receptacle R, the outlet of the last of the series of internal keg coolers being connected to the return main 35.

In operation, a fresh keg devoid of internal coolers or appurtenances and completely filled with brew, is delivered from the brewery, with the tapping bung as well as the cooler bungs closed as shown inl the prior Peet patent. The keg is tapped in the usual manner by the insertion of the draft tube l1, the cock I9 at the upper end of which is closed. Thereupon, the auxiliary receptacle R is aiilxed upon the upper end of the draft tube, the gas tube 2B is applied and the cock i9 is opened until the escape of moisture from the vent plug v at the upper end of the receptacle R, indicates that all of the air has been expelled from the latter by the complete filling thereof with brew from thekeg. 'I'hat vent plug is then sealed. Suilicient brew will thus have been removed from the keg, without loss or waste to afford space for the ready introduction of the various internal coolers C1, C2 into the keg. Upon connection of the conduit 3l and the jumper conduit or conduits 34 and the application of the cooling inlet pipe 21' to one cooling main 35 and the outlet of cooler C2 to the return main 36, the system is in operation. The sustained gas pressure through conduit maintains the aux-l iliary receptacle R at all times charged with brew.

The surface of the coolers C1, C2 within the keg is much smaller per unit of volume cooled thereby, than is the surface of the cooling coil 21 in the auxiliary receptacle R as compared to its brew content. Accordingly, the cooling of the auxiliary receptacle contents is considerably faster than that of the keg contents. Therefore, though but a small cooling area be used in the internal coolers C1, C2, an area so small as to cool the contents down say only to 55 degrees, even after hours of continuous circulation, yet the brew that the auxiliary receptacle R derives from the keg will be cooled from keg temperature to dispensing temperature in but little time.

For the reasons set forth in the prior Peet patent, it may be suillcient to use but one internal cooler C1 in the keg i0, since said unit would bring the temperature down to aslow as 55 deassises grees, which is adequate to protect the contents from spoilage. Thus, the present method and equipment requires only sufiicient refrigeration, in addition to the relatively small amount applied to the keg. to bring the temperature of the small volume within the auxiliary receptacle down from say 55 degrees to 44 degrees or 42 degrees or 40 `degrees or 38 degrees F., as required. As brew is withdrawn through faucet 23, the sustained gaa pressure upon the keg contents causes the auxiliary receptacle to be refilled with somewhat warmer brew from the keg. which as previously noted, is quite promptly cooled down to dispensing temperature therein and can reach the outlet pipe 31 only after it has been so cooled.

As many changes could be made in the above method and construction. and many apparently widely dierent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the f .accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of cooling and dispensing brew, which consists in tapping a brew keg, intercepting brew therefrom, introducing small hollow heat conductive members through the wall of the keg, to occupy space therein vacated by the intercepted brew, and circulating cooling fluid both through the hollow members within the keg and into heat conductive relation with the intercepted brew and dispensing from the latter.

2. The method of cooling and dispensing brew, which consists in tapping a brew keg, intercepting brew therefrom to provide enough space in the keg for accommodating small heat conductive members thereupon introduced through the wall of the keg, and circulating cooling fluid through the hollow members within the keg and into heat conductive relation with the intercepted brew, the latter at a. greater ratio of heat exchange surface than is available in the keg.

3. The method recited in claim 2, in which a relatively high temperature cooling medium is employed with but a small differential with respect to the nal temperature of the brew.

4. Brew cooling and dispensing equipment comprising a keg, a plurality of hollow small diameter cooling units removably mounted at the wall thereof and in heat exchange relationship with the brew contents, a draft tube in said keg, an external small brew receptacle intercepting brew delivered through said draft tube, and of volumetric capacity suflicient to accommodate the brew discharged from the filled keg in introducing the cooling units thereinto, a cooling conduit in said receptacle, having a greater ratio of heat exchange surface with respect to the brew in said receptacle than have the cooling units in the keg with respect to the keg contents, means for circulating cooling fluid through said conduit and through said hollow cooling units in the keg and a faucet drawing from said external receptacle. l

5. Brew cooling and dispensing equipment comprising a keg, a draft tube therein, an auxiliary cooling receptacle ailixed to the upper end of the draft tube and having a faucet at the upper end thereof, means for internally cooling the keg contents, comprising one or more internal 'keg coolers removably accommodated in the keg ln the space therein vacated by brew initially withdrawn from the keg into the auxiliary receptacle, a cooling conduit within said receptacle, and means for circulating cooling fluid through said conduit and through said internal keg coolers.

6. Brew cooling and dispensing equipment'cornprising a keg, a draft tube through the upper wall thereof, an auxiliary brew receptacle carried on top of and intercepting brew delivered through said draft tube and from which brew is delivered at dispensing temperature, one or more small diameter hollow internal keg coolers removably affixed in the upper wall of the keg and submerged in the brew and means for circulating cooling fluid both through the internal keg coolers and in heat conductive relation with the auxiliary receptacle contents.

7. Brew cooling and dispensing equipment, comprising a brew keg, a draft tube therein, an

auxiliary brew receptacle mounted on the upper end of said tube having a faucet thereon, a cooling conduit within the interior of said receptacle, one or more hollow internal brew coolers removably mounted in the keg, and means for circulating cooling liquid in series through the cooling conduit of the auxiliary receptacle and through the internal cooling means of the keg.

8. A brew cooling and dispensing installation, comprising a keg having a draft tube therein, a stufling box therefor in the upper head of said keg, an auxiliary brew receptacle aixed to the upper end of said draft tube and intercepting brew delivered through said draft tube, a cooling coil in said receptacle, said receptacle having a faucet at the upper end thereof for withdrawal of brew therefrom, one or more small diameter hollow internal coolers removably aixed in the upper head of the keg, and means for circulating cooling liquid in series through the cooling coil within the auxiliary receptacle and through the successive internal coolers.

9. Brew cooling equipment comprising a keg having one or more removable hollow small diameter internal coolers therein, an auxiliary brew receptacle exterorly of the keg and contiguous thereto, having communication with the interior of the keg, said receptacle having a cooling coil therein with an inlet and an outlet at the bottom, said bottom comprising a sump for cooling liquid.

l0. Brew cooling equipment comprising a keg, having one or more removable hollow small-diameter internal coolers therein, an auxiliary brew rceptacle exteriorly of the keg and contiguous thereto, having communication with the interior of the keg, a cooling coil in said receptacle, having an inlet and an outlet at the bottom of said receptacle, said bottom comprising a sump for cooling liquid, and means connecting said sump and said internal coolers.

11. As an article of manufacture, an auxiliary brew cooling receptacle for use with internally cooled kegs, said receptacle having an insulating wall, a cooling coil in said receptacle, a sump at the bottom of said receptacle communicating with said cooling coil, an inletand an outlet at said sump, said inlet communicating with the inlet of said coil, a faucet near the upper end of said receptacle, and a brew pipe extending from said faucet into said receptacle, said receptacle having a brew inlet delivering into the receptacle near the top thereof.

12. As an article of manufacture an auxiliary brew cooling receptacle for use with internally cooled kegs, said receptacle having an insulating wall, a cooling coil in said receptacle, a brew inlet line extending through the bottom of said receptacle upward to near the'top thereof, a faucet through the side wall of said receptacle near the upper end thereof, a brew discharge pipe extending from said faucet downward to near the bottom of said receptacle, said bottom being dished immediately -adjacent the lower end of said discharge pipe. l

13. As an article of manufacture an auxiliary brew cooling receptacle for use with internally cooled kegs, said receptacle having an insulating wall, a removable insulating coverfor said receptacle'a brew inlet pipe extending upward through the bottom of said receptacle and discharging into said receptacle near the top thereof, a cooling coil extending helically about said brew pipe and having an inlet and an outlet through the bottom of said receptacle, a faucet extending through the side wall of said receptacle contiguous to said cover, and a brew discharge piperextending from said faucet downward to near the bottom of said receptacle.

FREDERICK G. MERCKEL. 

